Improvement in self-watering devices for flower-stands, baskets



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. KNIES'IQ'OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN sELF-w/ITERING DEVICES FoII FLOWER-STANDS, BASKETS, tc.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No.,1 801,2112, dated :July25,1876; application led June 12, 1876. f

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, JOHN B. KNrEsT, of Buffalo, in the county of Erieand'hState of New York, have invented a Self-Waterin g Device for FlowerStands, Baskets, and Vases; and I do hereby declarethat the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification. I A

Theobject ot' my invention is the production of an automatically-actingdevice for watering iiower-pots, vases, and flower-baskets, and itconsists in the arran gement,withaflower stand, vase, or basket, of awater-reservoir having a valve in its bottom, audplaced into a shallowpan, said pan being in' communication with one or more similar pans,wherein the flowerpots to be watered are placed and supplied with thenecessary water automaticallyas the same is absorbed by the saidflower-pots, or as it evaporates from exposure. My invention furthermoreconsists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction, aswill hereinafter more fully appear.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which-my inventionappertains'to makeA and use the same, I shall proceed to describe itsparticulars, and thereby refer to the hereinbefore-mentioned drawings,which form a part ot' this specification, and illustrate my saidinvention more fully.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation ofInyimproved Bowerstand and its appurtenants. Fig. 2 is a similar view ofa hanging iiower-basket, showing the arrangement of my self--wateringdevice as applied to that class of flower-plant receptacles.

Letters of a similar character referto corresponding parts in bothiigures.

A is the water-reservoir, constructed ot' any suitable material, metal,or stoneware. It is provided in its base with an aperture, centrallyclosed by a valve, B, consisting either of a ball, or similar well-knownmeans for vchecking the iiow of liquids. This reservoir is madeair-tight above its base, and has no communition with the exterior, savethrough the hereinbefore-mentioned aperture. To render this reservoirportable, I provide the same with a bail, O, by means of which it can beconveniently carried about. The reservoir A is placed into a dish-shapedorshallow pan, D, being in size slightly larger than the diameter oflsaid reservoir, upon projections E, to keep it adistanceabove thebottom ot' the pan D, as .herein after to be explained. Centrally withinthe pan D is another projection, FI, of such a vheight that` when thereservoir'A is placed into this pan, said projection will come incontact with the valve B, and elevate-the same sufficiently to allow ofa limited discharge of the contents of said vessel A. F area series ofpans or saucers, arranged around the cen- I p tralpan D, and connectedtherewith by the pipes Gr. Within these latter pans are placed theflower-pots whose contents are desired to be kept in a moist state.

The action of my improved self watering device is yas follows, to wit:The vessel or reservoir'A, being filled with water through thefunnel-shaped aperture in its bottom, is placed inversely into the panD. 'Io prevent the exit of water during this operation, said aperture isclosed" by the valve B, and this is opened by coming iu contact with theprojection E, to allow a part of its contents to escape into the pank D,and through the branches Gr into the pans F, filling the same to aheight slightly above the base of the reservoir A. As soon as the levelof the water reaches the said base the communication of the atmospherewith the interior of the vessel A is interrupted, and, this'vessel beingthus hermetically sealed, will only allow so much more water to escapeto cause a rarefaction of the air in its interior, which will tend tosupport the column of liquid by the action of the atmosphere, andthereby prevent a further flow until, by absorption and evaporation,sufficient Vwaterv has escaped to expose the exit-opening, when the sameaction heretofore described will-be repeated automatically until thecontents of the reservoir A are exhausted. i The flower-pots standing inthe water in pans F will absorb the water by capillary attraction, andthus cause their contents to be preserved in a healthy condition.

In order to apply the principle governing the action of my selfwateringapparatusto flower-vases and hangingbaskets, I provide these with aWater-pan similar to pan D, heretofore described, and shown in Fig. 2,and` place the reservoir A intothe earth or soil contained in suchvases, Ste. In this ease, however, I prefer to provide the reservoirwith a jacket, I, to enable the insertion and withdrawal withoutdisturbing the soil or the roots of the plants. In action this device isidentical with that heretofore described, as soon as the basket or lowerpart of the vase dips into the receptacle D to absorb the water. Insteadof the projections E to support the reservoir at its proper height, thejacket I is iitted to obtain the desired result.

In outdoor places, especially buryinggrounds, a perfect self-actingwatering tlowerpot, Snc., arrangement is a great desideratum, and myimprovements' are especially adapted to supply this long-felt want. Thewater-reservoir, being portable, can be easily carried to a pump,stream, or pond, and filled; and it contains a sutcency of water to lastfor a long space of time, thus saving a great deal of annoyance andtrouble in keeping owers in pots and vases, dre., in a healthycondition.

It is obvious that my improvements are also applicable to iower-standsin which the pots are arranged in terraces, and that, by making the pansor saucers of a snfciently large diameter and proper shape, a number ofpots may be plaeed into the same, thus retaining all the advantages ofthe common newer-stand.

Having thus fully described my invention, I desire to secure to me byLetters Patent of the United States- 1. The hereinbefore-describedautomatically-acting Watering device for iower stands, vases, andbaskets, consisting of a water-reservoir provided with a Wateroutlet inits base, and hermetically sealed above, and a shallow pan, within whichsaid reservoir is placed'a suitable distance from its bottom, wherebythe supply of water is controlled automaticall y, substantially asdescribed.

2. The hereinbefore-descrbed iower-staud and an tomatic watersupplyarrangement, consisting of a suitable support, a series of shallow pansor saucers connected by pipes to a central pan, and a water-supplyreservoir, the whole being constructed and arranged in the manner andfor the use and purpose stated.

3. The combination, with the hermeticallysealed tank A, provided Withthe valve B in its outlet-passage in the bottom ot' the pan D, centralprojection E', and the projections E, substantially as described, forthe use and purpose stated.

In testimony whereof' I have hereto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing wit- IIGSSCS.

J. B. KNIEST. Witnesses:

MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK Hiascrr.

